Waco receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Waco
Laredo
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 49%
vs43 · Bottom 24%
Growth
64 · Top 28%
vs61 · Top 33%
Climate
67 · Top 49%
vs67 · Top 49%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 6%
vs70 · Top 29%
Housing affordability
87 · Bottom 31%
vs96 · Top 43%
Access
97 · Top 9%
vs86 · Top 32%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 43%
vs47 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Waco | Laredo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 302,045 | 269,294 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,205 | $63,058 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,919 | $24,920 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 108/sq mi | 80/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $234,100 | $189,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,151 | $1,027 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.6% | 64.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.5% | 21.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.0% | 21.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,366 | 1,142 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.5 | 4.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -17.0% | -21.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 97°F | 100°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.4" | 21.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.1 min | 23.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.1 | 30.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Waco, TX Metro Area · Laredo, TX Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology